Unique Henhouse
Saturday, September 13, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

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*** Is there Country in New York? ***
Monday, September 8, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

When People think of New York State, they think New York City. When someone asks where I'm from and I mention I'm from New York, their assumption is I'm from the Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps. That I have no idea how to drive a car, am guilty by association as an elitist or Self-Centered Money-hungry love-to-work baracooda that lives for runway clothes or broadway.

What people are most surprised at, is New York is built around A whole lot of Forest and farmland. The Cities in NYS take up 6,241 acres. The rest is Forest Cover, which takes up 18,641 acres, Timberland that takes up 15,405 acres, Forest Reserve which also takes up 2,953, Urban Forestland that takes up only 99 acres, and finally Farmland which is 5,341 acres of New York State Land.

New York State is a wealth of beauty, especially in the fall when the leaves turn and it has SO many beautiful falls and lakes. The Adirondack Mountains is a beauty. The Daks, as the locals call it, not only holds alot of our forestland, but also some of the best lakes and islands around. Hiking, fishing, biking, skiing and just getting away from it all is why people from all over the nation come to the Daks to hide away from it all.

I'm quite fond of "The Fingerlakes". It is here, where my husband and I reside. I was born and raised in the Fingerlakes region and absolutely love the lakes, rivers, wineries, and collages of beauty that surround this area. There is truely nothing like it and the kindness of people who reside here.

Moving back here from Ohio last year, it took me some time to get back into the swing of things, The winters in Central NY tend to be pretty cold and snowy. Our first winter here last year resulted in a very light winter season. It was cold, but not a whole lot of snow fall.

Ask anyone here the year before and they would have told you about the HUGE snowstorm that pummeled the snowbelt so bad, they had to literally climb their rooftops like santa and shovel snow off them. Often-times being careful not to get too excited and jump the snow below, even though it was high and billowy, it was still hard to the ground.

I'm proud of where I was born and beauty that surrounds me each day. Even when winter comes and many animals and living plants have gone to bed for the season, there is always something beautiful that engulfs each season here in Central, Upstate and Downstate New York, that if we lived anywhere else, we wouldn't be able to enjoy just how great Gods creation really is and how as Ecclesiastes 3 puts it, there is a time and season over everything under heaven.

Blessings dear Friends!



Rebekah

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***Chickens ***
Friday, September 5, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

Robert E. Lee had a chicken he took with him the whole time the Civil War was going.  Many a soldiers tried to cook the chicken, but he managed to rescue it saying, “Boiling the hen will give us one fine meal, but keeping her alive will feed us every day.”

So, as I said, not only are we preparing to buy a home, we'd like one with land so we can have our chickens.  Today I emailed our county law division and asked them stipulations pertaining to keeping hens and the local zoning laws pertaining to the subject.  I am awaiting for more information so we can keep in mind those stipulation while we look.

In the meantime, as you may have already noticed, I'm looking at both city coops and plans for regular ones.  I have an idea of what I'd like for a bigger one if we find a place in the country. I'll share those plans later.  Right now, I'm picking out which chickens we'll order once we move.

Let me just say that there are lots and lots of chickens out there.  Bantams which are smaller in size and tend to lay eggs with more yolk than whites, then there are the common chickens, the specialty and the Cochins which have the cute feathered feet but have a reputation for being poor layers (please, all jokes aside here, I'm having a chicken breed crisis).  There are crested breeds with feathered crowns and heavy breeds which are used for meat. 

With all those breeds, I felt more and more confused at choosing exactly which ones would work for our area with cold Northeastern snow and wind.  Ones that were well mannered, lay eggs quite often, and are good setters.  (now I'm starting to sound like a singles add.haha)

Murray McMurray is a hatchary with good, healthy chickens.  Not only do they sell chickens, but other game birds like turkeys, ducks, geese. Lets not forget about pheasants, quail, peacocks, and guineas.  If your ever in the market, I HIGHLY recommend Murray McMurray at www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html

One decision I do know, we are looking for brown egg layers.  So, that trims the list down a bit. The best part of Murray McMurray is they have "assortment" options for different breeds and egg colors.  So we have now decided to order the BROWN EGG LAYERS ASSORTMENT.

How easy was that?  We know we wanted brown egg layers, we just weren't sure which ones to choose because we've never had any of them.  Choosing the assortment, Murray McMurray throws in an assortment and you'll only know once they get to you which breed they are.  I like that alot because we don't have to choose just one breed, but can see which ones we really prefer for our next order. In the Brown Egg Assortment, they guarantee 5 of the following breeds:

Black Australorps; Lt. Brahmas; Dark Cornish; Black and White Giants; Buff and White Orpingtons; New Hampshire, Rhode Island Reds, Barred, White, Partridge, Buff Rocks;Deleware, Sussex, Turkens; White, Silver Laced, & Columbian Wyandottes, Red Star and Black Star.

A couple other breeds we were introduced to from our homestead friends, and plan to also purchase are Araucana and Dominique Chickens.  They produce green and blue eggs.  Our friends called them "easter eggs".  They're both pretty friendly and by exeperience with our friends when we were there, they are pretty good natured and do well in the winter months.  Check out a Youtube video above that I found on the breed.

How exciting to have made our choices.  We hope to introduce them late summer, early fall when we close on a home of our own. Woohoo!

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***The Eglu*** A Traveling Chicken Coop
Thursday, September 4, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

So I've been searching for plans for chicken coops.  In our search for a home here in NYS, I'm trying to keep in mind we'd like some land in the country to have chickens, goats, etc.  Sounds silly to those of you who know doug and I in real life, BUT we've always had this dream.

Thing is, he works in the city limits and finding a small homestead or a home on a small piece of land within our budget, has proved to nothing more than trying.

We won't let that get us down though.  If the good Lord wants us in the city limits, then we should plan accordingly.  Some cities allow chickens.  In fact, some allow chickens, just not the loud roosters within the city limits.

With that in mind, I've been looking for regular chicken coop plans AND small city type chicken runners that can move.  You can imagine my surprise when I found a site by OMLET that sells Eglu's.  Yup, IGLOOS for chickens are made from energy efficient polymers using modern construction techniques and at the end of its life it can be 100% recycled. 

Take a Look at their Brochure online in PDF

Above you'll see a guide to keeping chickens. The little girl is SO CUTE and the eglu is in the picture.  I just found the little girl to be so precious that I had to post this.

My one true concern with this is in the harsh Upstate NY winters, how the chickens would get on and not freeze to death.

This is where you avid homesteaders come in.  What do you think?  Have any ideas on what to do in the wintertimes?  Have any other ideas or plans?  How bout plans for bigger size coops if we do find a home with some land?

Let me know your experience and feel free to comment.

Blessings!

Rebekah

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***Expedition REBEKAH Style***
Monday, July 28, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

THIS, is Mr. Thinker.  He looks REAL enthused doesn't he?  It's another excursion I got him into and yet, it wasn't good enough.  I had to get my mother involoved in my schemes as well.  I'm known for coming up with fun and exciting adventures and won't tell a soul about them until we get there.  THIS TIME though, I warned the both of them that we'd be going to a delightful outing to pick berries.  They had warning, LOTS of warning!

Hunny, the berries won't hurt you dear, we need to pick up speed so we can get to the blueberries before it storms.  Eww, Ouchie, that one must have hurt alittle.  Sorry dear! 

The above picture is Mr. Thinker enjoying the wide open spaces of Black Raspberry picking while smelling a deep, STRONG scent of Cow Manure.  One CANNOT grow a good harvest of berries without fertile soil ya know!Oh!  Look what I found!!!  Look, Hurry everyone!!  As doug rushes over thinking I've hurt myself and mom gathers her quart of berries being VERY careful not to drop the big ones she's been picking. 

I found a Robins nest I said, Isn't it beautiful?!  Yes, but could you have been a bit more calm about it Mr. Thinker says as my mother giggles knowing the littlest things excite me.

Here they are, Black Raspberries.  Your probably wondering why I'm showing just the raspberry bushes with no picture of mom and I insight.  Well, As I was trying to take a picture undetected, of my moms natural berry-picking state, she caught me and dropped ALL the HUGE berries it took her over an hour to find.  At that moment, I dropped the camera to help.  This is the way my mother gets out of picture taking time.

Our blueberry excursion got us two quarts and then lightening came in our picking field.  We ran for the car and left. No pictures, but I'll never forget it.  Neither will my husband and mother.

Another day excursion with Rebekah!  Expect the unexpected.  If you thought you were going one direction, I'll take you on a whole new expedition in another direction.  It's just the way I am, and I love EVERY minute of it!

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***Our Small Garden***
Friday, July 25, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

What your seeing is a Lasagne Garden made with Newspapers over grass, then petemoss, directly topped with manuere and soil, THEN repeated again with petemoss, manure and soil until I got the desired height.

Sweet 100's are producing 100's of little tomatoes now while our peppers are coming along nicely.  Cuces are growing up the vine like mad ...but the ONE issue we're having.  See the bald spot in the center of the garden?...that's SUPPOSED to be all my different kinds of lettuce.  WELL, Edward, the cute but pesky woodchuck (groundhog) has eaten them to stubs.  I have NO LETTUCE.

SO, I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this critter.  He's SMART.  We put a plastic bag over them one night and Edward (the woodchuck) pulled it off.  I can't believe I've named him, I'm not close to him now that he's wripped my dream of making a FULL SALAD directly from my garden.  Now I have to depend on the local farmers market, which isn't so bad because we're supporting them, but I wanted the good feeling of having grown my own lettuce.

So I'm trying to figure out what to do for next years gardening season. Nip this situation in the bud.

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***Save plants, trees and shrubs and get a Great Deal!***
Friday, February 15, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

Save plants, trees and shrubs and get a Great Deal!

Every year millions of healthy high-quality plants go unsold and are destroyed.  

         ~ They go to the dump,

         ~ They get plowed under,

          ~They get burned or buried.

 It's a HUGE WASTE!!

They come from the very same growers that supply many of the most famous garden catalogs.

Here's a site that saves these plants and distributes them for free but only asks a 6.95 processing and shipping fee.  There are Perennials, Herbs, shrubs and tree's available.  What a great price and we'd be saving these plants from destruction.  You will find the link below: 

http://www.freetreesandplants.com/

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A Simple Womans Cannery *** Filled with delightful recipes and How To's
Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Posted in Serenity Garden

I just found the most wonderful Canning Blog here in our community and upon permission from the blogger for those who'd like to copy, I'm doing so, so that I may try the following recipes in the Harvest Season.

Please By all means stop by and check out A Simple Womans Cannery By Peggy and let her know what a lovely Job she's doing teaching those like me & you how to can or maybe just giving extra tips to you pro's out there!!.

I am so pleased with our HSB community.  What a blessing to share with one another the gifts we are blessed with!

Peggy's blue Ribbon Relish

 lbs of cucumbers
6 lg. onions
3 green peppers
2 cups vinegar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed
3 sweet peppers (red)
1 fourth cup salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. turmeric

Pare cucumbers, cut and discard seed and pulp. Dice the firm white inner rind. Peel and dice onions. Cut peppers and remove seeds, dice and combine vegetables. Stir in salt. Let mixture stand overnight. Then, drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Combine sugars, vinegar, turmeric, celery and mustard seeks. Add to vegetables mixture. Cook slowly until cucumber cubes are transparent, not mushy, about 20 min. Seal at once in jars, covering well with liquid.  Jar and process for 10 min. long enough to seal.

Aren't these two recipes delightful for canning?  She has also posted information on "How To" on canning.  So if your new to canning, please follow the link above and learn along with me so we can Put foods by this Harvest Season!  Aren't you just SO excited?! 

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This is what it looked like ...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Posted in Serenity Garden

On Monday

The Crick is behind the fence.  We love our ducks that fly over to visit and our Christmas Goose that Honks shown below our Christmas Goose and his Canadian friends.

Our mound of snow

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